Time lighting device.



No. 663,852 Patented Dec. I8, I900.

' W. W. BOLLEN.

TIME LIGHTING DEVICE.

- (Application filed Apr. 25, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 663,852. Patented Dec. l8, I900.

W; W. BULLEN.

TIME LIGHTING DEVICE.

- (Application filed Apr. 25, 1900.

2 Sheets-Shaat 2.

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FFICEQ ATENT WALTER W. BOLLEN, OF RED OAK, IOWA.

TIME LIGHTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,852, dated December18, 1900.

Application filed April 25, 1900. Berial No. 14,342. (No model.)

To call whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER W. BOLLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Red Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Igniting Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to an automatic igniting device, and hasfor its object the production of a simple apparatus controlled by timemechanism and designed to ignite fuel in a stove or furnace or issuingfrom a gas-jet or otherwise employed for the purpose of maintainingcombustion for light ing, heating, or other purposes.

To this end the invention comprehends the igniting mechanism associatedwith a trip mechanism of any suitable variety-as, for instance, anordinary alarm-clock, which latter may serve the dual function oftripping the igniter and sounding an alarm-as, for instance, for thepurpose of arousing the person, in advance of whose arising theapparatus is designed to start a fire or make a light;

The invention comprehends the employment of a casing or frameworkcontaining a suitable motor operating an oscillatory matchcarrying armand designed to be tripped for the purpose of bringing a match carriedby the match-carrying arm into frictional contact with theignition-surface, and subordinate objects of the invention are toprovide the motor with a governor which will prevent too violentactuation of the match-carrying arm, to provide adjustable tripmechanism by means of which the motor may be arranged for employment inconnection with various styles of tim e-pieces, and to construct thematch-holder at the free end of the matchcarrying arm in a manner toinsure the exertion of an elfective pressure upon the match as it isdrawn across the ignition-surface for the purpose of igniting'byfriction the fulminate head at the extremity of the match-stem.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangementhereinafter to be described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary perspective viewof a stove, illustrating the application of my igniter.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of my ignition apparatus complete, thematch-carrying arm being in full lines in its set position and theintermediate and tripped positions of said arm being indicated in dottedlines. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the motor, showing thetimepiece in elevation. Fig. at is a top plan View of the motor and itsimmediately connecterl parts with the topframeplate removed. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sec tion through the outer end of the matchcarrying arm,illustrating the construction of the match-holder. Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional view of the subjectanatter of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 isa detail view illustrating the application of the trip-lever to thearbor of an ordinary clock.

Referring to the numerals of reference employed to designatecorresponding parts in the several views, 1 indicates a base-plate uponwhich the apparatus is mounted and which is designed to be supported inproximity to the fuel to be ignited in any suitable manner-as, forinstance, by resting it, as illustrated by Fig. 1, upon the hearth of anordinary stove. The motor or actuating mechanism is mounted in asuitable frame composed, for instance, of parallel horizontal top andbottom plates 3 and 4, spaced by cornerposts at" and screwed orotherwise secured upon the base 1, as by screws passing through thebottom plate 4. The main post of the m0- tor (indicated by the numeral5) is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame-plates and is providedat its upper end, above the plate 3, with an enlarged head 6, integralwith or otherwise fixed to the post and provided with a horizontaldiametrical opening 7 for the reception of one end of the match-carryingshaft 8, adjustably retained in the head, as bya setscrew 9, piercingthe wall of the head and bearing against the arm. The match-carrying arm8 is of sufficient length to cause its outer end to describe an arc ofsufficient extent to present the head of a match 10 to anignition-surface 11 provided on the base 1 and to convey the lightedmatch into effective proximity to the fuel. (Indicated in Fig. 1 by thenumeral 12.) The ignition-surface may be formed upon the base in anysuitable manner but I prefer to secure thereto a con'vexlycurved block13, covered by a strip of sandpaper or like abrasive material 14. Themotor for actuating the post to oscillate the match-carrying armpreferably comprises a stout motor-spring 15, having one end fixed tothe frame-as, for instance, to one of the that when the match-carryingarm 8 is swung to itsset position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2,the motor-spring 15 will be wound and the ratchet-wheel 18 and post willrotate independently of the gear-wheel16 and its pawl 17. Thus when thematch-carrying arm is swung to one extreme limit of its movement itsmotor-spring is wound to compensate for the slight. unwinding of thespring which takes place when the device is tripped and the arm swungunder the impulse of the spring to ignite the match and present it tothe inflammable material. The violent shock or jar which would otherwisebe incident to the violent movement of the arm and its sudden stoppingas it is presented to the stop 19, projecting from the base, isprevented by the employment of a governor or retarding device. Thisgovernor may be of any suitable form, but is preferably a rotary fan 20,carried by a motor or fan shaft 21, upon which is also mounted a notchedcontrolling-wheel 22, designed to be engaged and retained againstrotation by a trip-pawl 23,

medially pivoted upon a post 24, suitably carried bythe frame and havingits end opposite the wheel 22 connected with the lower end of what maybe termed the trip-lever 25 by an intermediate link 26. 27 indicates aspring connected at one end to the trip-pawl 23 and at its opposite endto a fixed part-as, for instance, to one post 4to normally retain thepawl in engagement with the notched wheel 22.

In order to render the governor 20 efiective to cushion the movement ofthe match-carrying arm, it must rotate at a high rate of speed, as theresistance opposed by it would otherwise be immaterial. I thereforeinterpose between the arbor or shaft 21 and the post 5 a suitable trainof gearing, comprising, for instance, an arbor 28, provided with apinion 29, meshing with the gear-wheel 16 upon the post 5, and alsoprovided with a gear-wheel 30, meshing with a pinion 31, mounted upon anarbor 32, to which is also fixed a gear-wheel 33,.meshing with a pinion34 upon the post 21. This train of speed-gearing will communicate a highrate of speed to the fan-shaft 21 when the match-carrying arm 8 is oscillated to effect the ignition of the match; but, as stated, the movementof the arm in the opposite direction to reset it for another operationwill not cause the actuation of the gearing, inasmuch as the ratchet 18will rotate idly necessary to effectively retain the motor inactive, andvery slight movement of the triplever is necessary in order to releasethe fanshaft to permit the motor-spring to swing the match-carrying arm.

.One of the important features of my present invention is the specificconstruction of the trip-lever 25 to adapt it for use in connection withvarious forms of time mechanism. This construction of the trip-levercomprehends an angularly-adjustable end 35, pivotally connected to thelever proper, as indicated at 36, and provided with an adjusting or setscrew 37, movable within a transverse slot 38, so that the adjustableend 35 of said lever may be deflected to one side or the other andsecured in fixed relation to the lever proper by tightening the screw37.

In the drawings I have illustrated an ordinary alarm-clock 39 inconnection with my ignition apparatus, and I have shown an ec-' centricoffset or trip 40, mounted upon the alarm-post 41 and designed when thealarm of the clock is set off or tripped to engage the adjustable end 35of the trip-lever 25 and swing it for the purpose of rocking thetrippawl 23 and effectingits disengagement from the notched wheel 22 torelease or trip the motor at the desired time to cause the match to belighted and presented to the inflammable material.

It is obvious that where clocks of various sizes are employed the alarmor other arbor will bear different relations to the trip-lever 25, andit is for the purpose of accommodating such varying diameters that Ihave provided the adjustable end 35, which may be properly deflected inorder to bring it into proper operative position with a trip of anycharacter.

In Fig. f the drawings I have illustrated a trip or cam carried by anarbor other than the alarm-arbor and designed for the tripping of theignition device at any desired time either before orafter the alarm issprung or during the sounding of the alarm, as desired. Anotherimportant feature of the invention is a novel match-holder designed toalso provided with a transverse slot 44, into which extends a stop-pin45 on the arm, and its inner end is counterbored for the reception of aspiral spring 46, having its opposite eeaesa ends connected to the shaftand holder for the purpose of constantly urging the holder axially. 47indicates a collar retained upon the shaft against the counterbored endof the holder, as by a set-screw 48. At its outer end beyond theextremity of the arm 8 the holder is provided with a diametricalmatchreceiving aperture or socket 49, which when the holder is at thelimit of its movement under the influence of the spring is disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the base. The match is retained withinthis socket 49, as by a match-retaining screw 50 or like device. At theside of the base opposite the stop 19 I provide a gage-plate 51, bymeans of which the elevation of the match-head from the base to insureits proper presentation to the ignition-snrface may be determined.

The operation of my device is as follows: Supposing the device to bepositioned as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thepresentation of the trip or ofiset to the trip-lever at a predeterminedtime will oscillate the trip-lever to withdraw the trip-pawl from thecontrolling-wheel 22. The force of the spring 15 will then be exerted toswing the match-carrying arm in the direction of the stop 19. During thecourse of the movement of the arm the fulminate head of the match willbe presented to the ignition-surface 14, and the spring-urgedmatch-holder will yield sufficiently to prevent the breaking of thematch-stem as the match is swept across the ignition-surface intoeffective proximity to the inflammable material or fuel. The movement ofthe arm will be such as to create su fficient friction to ignite thehead of the match, but will be regulated to prevent undue jarring of theparts by the rotation of the governor or fan 20. As the arm reaches theextreme position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) it will be stopped bythe stop 19, and the cam 01' trip 40 having by this time moved out ofthe path of the trip-lever the latter will resume its normal positionand the trip will again engage the pawl 22. The motor is now' set, andin order to reset the entire apparatus it is simply necessary to swingthe arm 8 back to its normal position against the resistance of thespring 15 and insert another match in the holder when, as will beapparent, the apparatus is ready for succeeding operations.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have invented a simple andingenious apparatus which will efiectuallyaccomplish the several objectsstated; but while the present embodiment of my invention is deemed to bepreferable at this time, I wish to reserve the right to effect suchstructural variations as may be comprehended by the protection prayed.

trip-pawl, and a set-off or alarm mechanism having a rotating arborprovided with an offset cam arranged to work against the free end of thetrip-lever.

2. In an automatic ignition device, the combination with a base providedwith an igni tion-surface, of a spring-actuated rotary post,

a swinging arm connected at one end to said post, a stoplocated in thepath of movement of the opposite end of the arm, a spring-resistedmatch-holder carried at the free end of the arm and designed to retain amatch for presentation to the ignition-surface as the arm 'is swung, acontrolling-shaft geared to the post, a controlling-wheel and a rotarygovernor carried by said shaft, a trip-pawl engaging thecontrolling-wheel, a trip-lever operatively connected with the pawl, andtime mechanism for operating the trip-lever.

3. In an automatic ignition device, the combination with a motor, and aspring-actuated match-carrying arm, of trip mechanism comprehending atrip-lever, said lever being composed of a plurality of connectedsections capable of relative lateral adjustment to facilitate theadjustment of said lever for actuation by various forms of mechanism.

a. In an automaticignition device, the combination with aspring-actuated post having a terminal head, of a match-carrying armadjustably secured in the head, a controllingshaft, a controlling-wheeland a governor carried by said shaft, a train of gearing intermediate ofthe controlling-shaft and post, a trip-pawl engaging thecontrolling-wheel, a trip-lever provided with a laterally-adj ustableextremity, a link intermediate of the trip-lever and trip-pawl, andalarm mechanism having an eccentric trip located in operative relationto the end of the trip'lever.

5. The combination with a movable match carrying arm, of a coaxialmatch-holder carried thereby, means for opposing a yielding resistanceto the relative movement of said elements and m atch-retainin g meansupon the match-holder. I

6. The combination with a movable matchcarrying arm, of a match-holdermovably axial match-holder capable of independent r0- tary moveinent, aspring resisting the rotary movement of the match-holder, means forlimiting the movement of said holder, a matchsocket piercing the holderat right angles to the mateh oarryingarm nd means for retaining thematch in the socket.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- WALTER W. BOLLEN.

Witnesses: A

N. J. ROBERTS, F. M. BYRKIT.

